[TML] Molding Ships

[Leon Wu]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: tml-bounces at travellercentral.com [mailto:tml-
> bounces at travellercentral.com] On Behalf Of Charles Prevatte
> Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2007 4:54 PM
> To: The Traveller Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [TML] Molding Ships
> 
> No, not really.  Trench warfare came about because of the invention of
the
> machine gun. That ended the effectiveness of the "charge" tactic
across
> open
> grond that was effective against slower firing weaponry.  Trench
warfare
> was
> the result of not having a good counter to massed machine gun fire.
> Counter
> that and trench warfare ends messily as the French and the Magiot Line
> learned the hard way.

No, I was referring to after the initial attacking force had captured
the enemy's trenches. In theory the 2nd wave was supposed to leap-frog
the 1st wave and advance into the enemy's rear. In practice the 2nd
waves would get hammered by the artillery that pounded no-man's land (to
prevent reserves from moving up) and then get mixed up with the remnants
of the first wave, cohesion and order would be lost. 

I would also add quick-firing artillery and barbed wire as other
inventions that lead to trench warfare.

No objections that tech would solve this problem. However in 1918 the
Germans just used different tactics to win, had they tried this in 1915
the war (and the world) would be very different.